Moribito series

Moribito

Cover of the Japanese edition of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, the first in the series
Author	Nahoko Uehashi
Translator	Cathy Hirano
Illustrator	Makiko Futaki Miho Satake Yuko Shimizu
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Genre	Fantasy series
Publisher	Kaisei-sha (Hardcover, 1996 - 2012), Shinchosha (Bunkobon, 2003 - 2007) Scholastic Corporation (Hardcover and Paperback) 2008 - 2009
Media type	Print (hardcover, paperback and bunkobon)

The Moribito series (守り人シリーズ^?, Moribito shirīzu, translation: "Guardian series") is a twelve volume series of Japanese fantasy novels, written by Nahoko Uehashi. The first novel in the series, Guardian of the Spirit, has been adapted into numerous media, including a radio drama, manga series, and an anime adaption.

Scholastic released the first novel in English in June, 2008. Media Blasters has confirmed that they acquired the rights to the anime. The series premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block in the U.S. at 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2008 EST, but was dropped from the schedule without warning or explanation on January 15, 2009 after two runs of the first ten episodes. The program returned to Adult Swim during the summer 2009 line-up with an airing of the entire series.

Moribito is set in a fantasy analogue of historical Asia. The setting includes several nations, such as Kanbal, a rugged, Himalayan-like kingdom, and New Yogo, a fertile empire that combines elements of feudal Japan and Southwest China. The supernatural plays very prominently into the world of the series, with the physical world being referred to as Sagu and a parallel spirit world being referred to as Nayug.

The series primarily features Balsa and Chagum. Balsa is a wandering spear-wielder from the kingdom of Kanbal. Despite claiming to be a simple bodyguard-for-hire, in reality she wields her spear in order to save lives in atonement for the eight lives that were taken to protect her when she was a child. Chagum is a young prince of the New Yogo Empire, who throughout the series struggles to protect his empire from ruin.

In the first novel, Balsa agrees to become the bodyguard of Prince Chagum as her eighth and final job after she happens to save his life. Chagum, the second prince of the Imperial family of Yogo, carries a powerful spirit within him and has become the target of assassination by his father, the Emperor. Balsa must protect Chagum from relentless assassins as well as the spirit within her young charge as he attempts to master and understand his own powers.